Resilient back rest for posture chairs



mm Q @951 1r. HI. VAN BUREN RESTILIENT BACK REST FOR POSTURE CHAIRS Filed April 4 19 .7

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT BACK BEST FOR POSTURE CHAIRS 10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in resilient back rest for posture'chairs.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a posture chair having aback which while padded is relatively hard, the back being mounted on supporting uprights for vertical adjustment, the back mounting or bracket being springable to provide a desirable spring support for the back member.

Second, to provide a structure having these advantages in which the back member is very securely mounted in'its position of vertical adjustment and at the same time is yieldably supported, the support permitting substantial tilting yielding in a horizontalplane under stress which renders such yielding desirable.

Third, to provide a structure having these advantages which is very. simple and economical in its parts and at the same time highly desirable.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

I A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a rear perspective view of a posture chair such as a stenographers chair, embodying the invention with the pedestal broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the back struc t'ure partially in section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 3,- the springable characteristic of the backsupporting bracket being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation looking from the left of Fig. 2.

In theaccompanying drawing, I represents a seat having a spindle 2 supportingly engaged with the pedestal 3. The back uprights 4, 4 are preferably rod-like, being formed of pieces of tubing and having forwardly projectingv arms 5 at their lower ends desirably adjustably secured eiasteners 9- The bracket '1 has offsets Ill thereinprovluing rearwardly facing curved seats receiving the uprights, these seats beingsuitably spaced so that the seats embrace the rear portions of the uprights, as shown in Fig. 2.

The rearwardly bowed clamping member l2 which is also formed of springable strap-like material is bent to provide forwardly facing seats 13 engaging the rear sides of the uprights in opposition to the seats H.

The clamping bolt I4 is arranged centrally through the bracket intermediate the uprights and is provided with a clamping plate [5 which constitutes a reinforcing member, this clamping plate being of such dimensions as to prevent springing of thebracket between the uprights.

The nut I6. is threaded upon the rear end of the bolt at the rear of the clamping member l2 and is provided with a handpiece l1 facilitating adjustment.

With this arrangement, the vertical position of the back may be readily and quickly adjusted to the requirements of the user. While the supporting bracket is yieldable or springably-resilient, it is preferably quite stiff so that substantial thrust on the back is necessary to spring the same, the springing being illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The supporting bracket is such that some springing longitudinal tilting of the back member is possible in the event'the thrust on theback is rather excessive and is not centered. It is however preferable that the back supporting spring be such that it does not yield under light thrust but it is sufficiently springable to provide a springing back action. While the pad for the back is fully yieldable to take care of localized thrust or permit it to conform, it is substantially springable in and of itself, as one of the objects is to'provide a fairly firm surface as distinguished from a spring supported padsurface.

The structure is very economical as tov its parts and they are easily assembled and at the same time the structure is very durable.

I have illustrated and described the invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attemptedto illustrate or describe certain modifications or adaptations which Ifcontemplate as it isbelieved that this disclosurewill enable those skilled inthe art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as .new' and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 7

. 1...In aichair, thecombination with asset, of apalr: oi: laterally spaced rod-like backuprights carried thereby, a back member, a onepiece rearwardly bowed strap-like supporting bracket of springable material for said back member having inturned arms at its ends extending towards each other and fixedly secured to the rear side of the back member, said supporting bracket having curved offsets in the mid-portion thereof providing laterally spaced rearwardly facing seats spaced to receive the said uprights, said supporting bracket being formed of a fiat strip of material of substantially uniform thickness having the ends thereof bent inwardly to provide said inturned arms, a rearwardly bowed springable one-piece strap-like clamping member curved at its ends to provide forwardly facing seats engaging the uprights in opposition to the said seats of said supporting bracket, and a clamping bolt arranged through said bracket and said clamp member centrally between said uprights and provided with a nut at its rear end having a handpiece, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the inturned arms substantially spacing the body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

. 2. In a. chair, the combination of laterally spaced back uprights, a horizontally elongated rearwardly curved back member, a supporting bracket of springable material having rearwardly facing seats receiving said uprights, said supporting bracket having oppositely disposed return bent springable arms extending towards each other and integral therewith, the ends of the arms being secured to the back member, said supporting bracket being formed of a flat strip of material of substantially uniform thickness having the ends thereof bent inwardly to provide said inturned arms, a springable clamp engaging said uprights in opposition to the seats of said bracket, and a clamping bolt arranged through said bracket and clamping member between said uprights and provided with a nut having a handpiece at its rear end whereby the bracket may beadjustably clamped upon the uprights, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the inturned arms substantially spacing the body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

3. In a chair, the combination of laterally spaced back bars, a back member, a rearwardly bowed spring supporting bracket for said back member having inturned arms at its ends extending towards each other and secured to the rear side of the back member, said supporting bracket having seats in the mid-portion thereof spaced to receive the said back bars, a clamping member engaging the back bars in opposition to the said seats of said supporting bracket, and a clamping bolt arranged through said bracket *and'said clamp member between said back bars and provided with a clamping nut having a handpiece, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the in turned arms substantially spacing the body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

viding a rearwardly facing seat, a clamp engaging said upright in opposed relation to said bracket, said supporting bracket being formed of a flat strip of material of substantially uniform thickness conformed to shape, and a clamping bolt arranged through said bracket and said clamp and provided with a clamping nut, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the inturned arms substantially spacing the body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

5. In a chair, the combination of a back upright, a back member, a supporting bracket of springable material disposed on said upright and having oppositely disposed return bent springable arms extending towards each other and integral therewith, the ends of the arms being secured to the back member, a springable clamp engaging said ,upright in opposition to said bracket, and a clamping bolt arranged through said bracket and clamping member and provided with a clamping nut whereby the bracket may be adjustably clamped. upon the upright, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the inturned arms substantially spacing the body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

6. In a chair, the combination of a back upright, a back member, a supporting bracket of springable material disposed on said upright and having oppositely disposed return bent springable arms extending towards each other and integral therewith, the ends of the arms bein secured to the back member, and means for adjustably clamping said bracket to said upright, said bracket including a U-shaped bend between the body thereof and each of the inturned arms substantially spacing the-body from the arms to facilitate yielding movement of the back member.

7. In a chair, a seat, supporting means for a back member carried by and rising from said seat, an inflexible back member, and only a single inherently resilient element yieldably mounting said back member on said supporting means in front of the latter, said element being substantially horizontally disposed and extending transversely relative to said supporting means and being fastened intermediate its ends to the latter and having its portions to either side of its intermediate portion diverging forwardly and terminally fastened rigidly to said back member, whereby it mounts said back member firmly on said supporting means for rearward yielding movements both bodily and tiltably in all directions relative thereto.

8. In a chair, a seat, supporting means for a back member carried by and rising from said seat, an inflexible back member, and only a single leaf spring yieldably mounting said back member on said supporting means in front of the latter, said leaf spring being substantially horizontally disposed and extending transversely relative to said supporting means and cross sectionally being disposed substantially vertically, said leaf spring being fastened intermediate its ends to said supporting means and having its portions to either side of its intermediate portion diverging forwardly and terminally fastened rigidly to said back member, whereby it mounts said back'm'ember firmly on said supporting means for rearward yielding movements both tl 'iereto. l

9. In a chair, a seat, supporting mans 'for-a -bodily and tilt'ably in all directions relative back member carried by and rising from said seat, an inflexible back member, and only a single leaf spring yieldably mounting said back member on said supporting means in front of the latter, said leaf spring being substantially horizontally disposed and extending transversely relative to said supporting means and cross sectionally being disposed substantially vertically, screw means cooperating with the intermediate portion of said leaf spring and said supporting means to vertically adjustably fasten the former to the latter, said leaf spring having its portions to either side of its intermediate portion diverging forwardly and terminally fastened rigidly to said back member, whereby it mounts said back member firmly on said supporting means for rearward yielding movements both bodily and tiltably in all directions relative thereto.

10. In a chair, a seat, supporting means for a back member carried by and rising from said seat, an inflexible back member, and only a single leaf spring yieldably mounting said back member on said supporting means in front of the latter, said leaf spring being substantially horizontally disposed and extending transversely relative to said supporting means and cross sectional ly being disposed substantially vertically, screw means cooperating with the intermediate portion of said leaf spring and said supporting means to vertically adjustably fasten the former to the latter, said leaf spring having its portions to either side of its intermediate portion diverging forwardly and terminally curved inwardly toward each other and fastened rigidly to said back member, whereby it mounts said back member firmly on said supporting means for rearward yielding movements both bodily and tiltably in all directions relative thereto.

TRACY HENRY VAN BUREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 899,504 Bolens Sept. 29, 1908 1,064,181 Taft June 10, 1913 1,228,771 Hanger June 5, 1917 1,719,929 Ferris July 9, 1929 2,529,683 Fox Nov. 14, 1950 

